Chapters authored
Cell Wall Proteomics as a Means to Identify Target Genes to Improve Second‐Generation Biofuel Production
Second‐generation biofuels (B2G) generally uses residues composed of lignocellulosic materials to produce renewable energy (potentially up to 50%), without increasing the planted areas. However, the high cost of enzymes required for cell wall disassembly prior to the saccharification makes the B2G production more expensive yet, compared to the first‐generation biofuels. Designing plants with less lignin, a barrier to B2G production, or facilitating cell wall disassembly by searching for the plant mechanisms can be the way to obtain B2G feasibility. Therewith, plant cell wall proteomics provides valuable information concerning the main cell wall proteins (CWPs) involved in its biosynthesis and rearrangements. Essentially, two plants of the grass family have been studied: sugarcane as a crop amenable to second‐generation ethanol (E2G) production; and Brachypodium distachyon as a model plant amenable to genetic transformation. Cell wall proteomics has allowed the identification of numerous CWPs as well as their fine profiling in different organs and at various developmental stages. Proteins acting on carbohydrates, mostly glycosyl hydrolases, and oxidoreductases, including class III peroxidases and laccases, can be highlighted. Both kinds of CWPs are assumed to contribute to the remodelling of cell wall polysaccharides by enzymatic or non‐enzymatic mechanisms. CWPs present in growing organs could also be attractive candidates since they greatly contribute to cell wall plasticity.
Part of the book: Frontiers in Bioenergy and Biofuels